Small Wars Journal

Trump Administration to End Refueling of Saudi-Coalition Aircraft in Yemen Conflict

Sat, 11/10/2018 - 6:06am

Trump Administration to End Refueling of Saudi-Coalition Aircraft in Yemen Conflict by John Hudson and Missy Ryan – Washington Post

The Trump administration is ending the practice of refueling Saudi-coalition aircraft, halting the most tangible and controversial aspect of U.S. support for the kingdom’s three-year war in Yemen, people familiar with the situation said.

The move comes amid escalating criticism of Saudi Arabia’s conduct in the war. Lawmakers from both parties have demanded that the United States suspend weapons sales to Riyadh and cut off aerial refueling of aircraft flown by the Saudi-led coalition, which monitoring groups have accused of killing thousands of unarmed civilians.

While the individuals familiar with the discussions said a decision is expected to be made public in coming days, Col. Robert Manning III, a Pentagon spokesman, said: “We have ongoing discussions with our partners but have nothing to announce at this time.”

Analysts said the move would limit Saudi Arabia’s ability to conduct bombing missions…

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